Ignition system



May 4, 1943. P. E. CATE IGNITION SYSTEM Filed Nov. 1, 1939 W W a a mg aw Q E 7L mum Q. m F W m 255: a? flw T mm W 0 WIN" @325; Hill. .1 .w iWIN WN\L NWN Patented May 4, 1943 v i UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICEIGNITION SYSTEM PaulE. Cate, Knoxville, Tenn, assignor to The FultonSylphon Company, \Knoxville, Team, a corporation of Delaware ApplicationNovember 1, 1939; Serial No. 302,409 1 Claim. (01. 175-115) Thisinvention relates to ignition systems and vantages by using a resistancehaving a high temmore particularly to ignition systems providing aperature coeflicient of resistivity in a relay circuit high tensionspark for ignition purposes. Even and subjecting it to the flame oi theburner to more particularly this invention relates to high block thecurrent passing through the relay when tension spark ignition systemssuitable for use 5 the burner is ignited and thereby open the spark withdomestic gas ovens, top burners, heaters or circuit. any other deviceburning i'uel capable of ignition In the accompanying drawing anillustrative by high tension sparks. I embodiment of the novel ignitionsystem of the The present invention provides an ignition syspresentinvention is shown as applied to the usual which automatically ignitesthe burner by a gas burner but it is to be expressly understood hightension spark when the fuel is turned on that this embodiment is shownfor the purposes and which will reignite the burner when the ofillustration only, that the novel ignition system flame is extinguishedby reason of temporary of the present invention is suitable for use withfailure of the fuel supply or for any other reason. any device burningfuel that can be ignited by a The present invention likewise providesvisuei high tension spark and that this illustrative emmeans forindicating when the ignition spark bodiment is not to be construed as alimitation is on. t 1 v on the present invention reference being had toIt is accordingly an object oi the present inthe appended claim todetermine the scope of vention to provide a novelhigh tension spark thepresent invention. 1 I ignition system which will automatically igniteIn the accomp y ng aw g I0 is any suitable the burner when the fuel isturned on. 7 source or supply of electricity the positive side 01Another objector the present invention is to which s connected by n el cri al c nduit or provide a novel high tension spark ignition syswire IIto a suitable terminal strip II on the gas .tem which will automaticallyreignite the bur valve (not shown). From terminal strip II a wire whenthe flame is extinguished by reason 01 the It leads to a suitable relayit. From relay It a temporary failure of the fuel supply or for any wireIt leads to one side of a suitable resistance other reason. 7 16 havinga suitable high temperature coemcient Another object oi the presentinvention is to of resistivity. Resistance I6 is designed to be providea, nove1 high tension rk gnition sysheated by the flame irom burner II Awire ll tern which will visually indicate when the spark 80 leads fromthe other side of. resistance II and is is on. connected at I9 with awire" leading to termi- Another obiect oi. the present invention is to 1s p A w r II nn cts wire 20 with one provide a novei high tension sparkign ti n sysside 01' a suitable switch 22 here shown schematitem whichwill use a minimum amount 01' current lly and designed to be closed bythe o ning or during ignition periods of the burner. 5 the gas valve inany suitable way. Wire 23 leads A still further object oi the presentinvention from the other side of switch 22 to terminal strip i t providea, novel high tension spark ignition l2 and continues as wire :4 to thenegative side system which is compact, durable, cheap to manof thesource of electrical supply ill.

uiacture, easy to install on existing installations m h third Bide f r y5 wire 25 leads and one which has no moving parts to wear and 40 to oneside oi the primary windings oi a suitable get out oi' adlustment. hightension coil 26, the other side of the p Heretoiore various high tensionspark ignition w ings being nnected at i! with wire 20 by systems havebeen proposed for igniting burners wi m h secondary w n ng of high inwhich variou m an; ha e b provided for tension coil 28 a wire 28 leadsto a suitable visual opening the spark circuit after the burner hassignal 29, u h s anecn. glow tube. Sisnal I9 is been ignited. Variousbimetallic elements and connected y i Ill with a suitable sp rk B pthermostats subjected to the flame oi the burner l l arrang d i n b rnerII, the other side oi have been used to open the spark circuit after rksap ii being onn ct d ywire a: to wire a. ignition and in other casesthe conductivity oi With theili strativeembodiment or the novel theflame oi the burner-has been used to operate so i nition system, 01' thepresent invention set up relays to open the spark'eirouit. Thes systemas above described, to ignite the burner the valve have proved expensiveto install and diihcult to pply n 8 8 fn't burner is en hereby ke inadjustment Th pre nt invent on overclosing switch 22. Closing switch 22allows ourcomes these difllculties while satisfying the above I rent toflow from the source of electrical sup l mentioned objects andpossessing the desired adll through wir s II and to relay From primarywindings of high tension coil 26.

relay H current then flows through wire l5 and resistance l6, resistance|6 being cold and hence offering the minimum resistance to the passageof current. From resistance IS the circuit is completed through wiresI8, 20, 2|, switch 22, and wires 23 and 24 to the source of electricalsupply l0. Current flowing through this resistance circuit operatesrelay l4 and current then passes through wire 25 to the primary windingsof high tension coil 26, the primary winding circuit being completedthrough wires 21, 20, 2|, switch 22,

and wires 23 and 24 to the source of -electrical supply l0. Currentflowing through the primary windings of high tension coil 28 induces ahigh tension current in the secondary windings of coil 26 this hightension current passing by wire 28 to visual indicator 29 causing it toglow, and from there passes by wire 30 to the spark gap 3 where a hightension spark is created and burner I1 is ignited, the spark gap circuitbeing completed by wire 32 connecting with wire 25.

When burner ignites, resistance It is rapidly heated and due to its hightemperature coefficient of resistivity its resistance rapidlybuilds upto a point where the current fiowing in the resistance circuit isreduced below that necessary to operate relay l4. Relay M then opens thecircuit to the tension current is then no longer induced in the sparkgap circuit, visual indicator 29 ceases to glowand the high tensionspark across gap 3| terminates.

High' resistance coil being heat of the burner name when the gas isignited If for any reason the flame at burner I! should be extinguishedwhile the gas supply valve is open and switch 22 closed resistance lfirapidly cools and due to its high temperaturecoeificient of resistivityits resistance rapidly drops allowing'a rapidly increasing current toflow in the resistance circuit. This current rapidly increases to thepoint necessary to operate relay I4. Relay M then closes the circuit tothe primary windings of high tension coil 26 and current flowstherethrough inducing a high tension current in the secondary windingsof coil26 causing visual indicator 29 to glow. and creating a-hightension spark at gap 3| to reignite burner II. When burner I1 isreignited resistance |6 is reheated and relay |4 opened to terminate thespark at gap 3| as described above.

It will now be apparent that the present invention provides a novelignition system suitable for use with any type of devic using fuelcapable of ignition by a high tension spark which will automaticallyignite the device when fuel is supplied thereto, which will reignite thedevice when the flame is extinguished and fuel still supplied theretoand which will provide a visual indication indicating when the spark ison. It is also apparent that this novel system uses the minimum amountof current during ignition periods of the device, is compact, durable,cheap, easy to install on existing installations, and one which has nomoving parts to get out of adjustment.

To those skilled in the art changes in or modifications of the abovedescribed illustrative embodiment of the present invention will now besuggested without departing from the inventive concept of the inventionand reference should be had to the appended claim to determine the scopeof the present invention.

What is claimed is:

In an ignition system for a gas burner, gas ignition means located inposition to ignite gas flow from said burner, a source of electricity, arelay for connecting said gas ignition means with said source of currentto control the flow of current through said gas ignition means, andmeans for blocking the flow of current through said relay to effect theopening of the circuit through said gas ignition means when said burneris ignited including a, resistance coil always connected in series withthe coil of said relay, said subjected directly to. the

and responsive only to the presence or absence of the burner flame, saidresistance coil determining the current flow to said relay to determinethe operation of said relay in controlling the flow of current to saidgas ignition means, said resistance having a high temperaturecoefficient of resistivity to substantially block the flow of currentthrough said relay, to open the circuit through said gas ignition meansand thereby discontinue. operation pf the same, when said resistance isheated by the existence of a gas flame at said burner, and saidresistance coil reestablishing the flow of current through said relayand efiecting the reactuation of said gas ignition means automaticallywhen said resistance coil is cooled upon' extinguishment of the burnerflame. 7

PAUL E. CATE.

